Kayaking Safety - The EssentialsWatch this short video to learn how youcan insure that your paddling experiencewill be relatively safe for all involved.Training Canoe Newbies Over the years, Cliff Jacobson has formed afew tests to get new canoeists ready to run whitewater rivers. Read all about them.

so assume you have very strong wind from 3 o'clock - your one leeboard is on your right side - strong wind heels the canoe over left, lifting half of the leeboard out of the water - result, you are blown to leeward. with tow leeboards, in the same situation, the one on your left will be buried in the water, performing its function. even if the boat isn't heeled over, two leeboards, with twice the surface area as one, witll prevent going to leeward better than a single board.

how were you planning on getting to shore if you did capsize ? all that sail and leeboards and sponsons are going to create a hell of a lot of drag if you are trying to swim the boat to shore - if you can pull it upright, even full of water, you could get back in and sail it towards shore, bailing as you go

in our grumman, sailing in summer, with two people, we'd have one of us hiking way out to windward, toes hooked under the gunnel on one side and sitting butt on the windward side - boat would heel over till the lee side gunnel was almost under - sometimes,we'd still go over if we didn't let the sheet go in time

If it were me, I'd rig some kind of quick release that you culd pull to let the sial drop quickly if you get in trouble. considering the distance you want to travel, I'b le installing a quick release camcleat to hold the sheet - if nothing else, you can just let it fly downwind (which we'd also do sometimes to prevent capsizing

I"d also rig a battery powered pump for bailing - same rigging as white water boaters use

and for sure, I'd have a sea anchor with me, in case of big storms which can blow up real quickly - then as a last resort, you drift downwind, bow into the wind and waves (sea anchor would have to be tied off to the bow)

you really ought to try your rig out in the nastiest, windiest, stormiest conditions you can find before you start your trip - I think you will be surpirsed

"great idea on the mast head line for capsizing, with such bouyant sponsons, my guess is the boat will never capsize"

Maybe you should talk to the captain of the Titanic?

The inside passage ain't all inside - if I remember my trip on the ALaska Ferry right - there was one very large open crossing, and not as much narrow channel as you might be thinking